Early in the Great Migration of 1910–1970, which involved the mass migration of Black people from the southern to the...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Early in the Great Migration of 1910–1970, which involved the mass migration of Black people from the southern to the northern United States, political activist and Chicago Defender writer Fannie Barrier Williams was instrumental in helping other Black women establish themselves in the North. Many women hoped for better employment opportunities in the North because, in the South, they faced much competition for domestic employment and men tended to get agricultural work. To aid with this transition, Barrier Williams helped secure job placement in the North for many women before they even began their journey.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To introduce and illustrate Barrier Williams's integral role in supporting other Black women as their circumstances changed during part of the Great Migration
To establish that Barrier Williams used her professional connections to arrange employment for other Black women, including jobs with the Chicago Defender
To demonstrate that the factors that motivated the start of the Great Migration were different for Black women than they were for Black men
To provide an overview of the employment challenges faced by Black women in the agricultural and domestic spheres in the southern United States
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Early in the Great Migration of 1910–1970, which involved the mass migration of Black people from the southern to the northern United States,' |
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| 'political activist and Chicago Defender writer Fannie Barrier Williams was instrumental in helping other Black women establish themselves in the North.' |
|
| 'Many women hoped for better employment opportunities in the North because, in the South, they faced much competition for domestic employment and men tended to get agricultural work.' |
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| 'To aid with this transition, Barrier Williams helped secure job placement in the North for many women before they even began their journey.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The passage describes Fannie Barrier Williams's important role in helping Black women establish themselves in the North during the Great Migration.
Argument Flow: The passage first establishes the historical context of the Great Migration, then introduces Fannie Barrier Williams as someone who was instrumental in helping Black women. It explains why women wanted to migrate (better job opportunities), then gives a specific example of how Barrier Williams helped by securing jobs for women even before they traveled North.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
- What's being asked? The main purpose of the text
- What type of answer do we need? The central reason the author wrote this passage
- Any limiting keywords? 'main purpose' - so we need the primary, overarching goal, not just a supporting detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- It should capture that the passage is primarily about Fannie Barrier Williams and her role
- It should mention her helping other Black women during the Great Migration
- It should reflect that this is about her instrumental/significant contribution
- So the right answer should focus on introducing Barrier Williams and showing how she played an important role in supporting Black women during the Great Migration.
To introduce and illustrate Barrier Williams's integral role in supporting other Black women as their circumstances changed during part of the Great Migration
- This captures that the passage introduces Barrier Williams and shows her integral role. It mentions supporting other Black women during the Great Migration. Matches exactly what the passage does - introduces her and illustrates her role.
To establish that Barrier Williams used her professional connections to arrange employment for other Black women, including jobs with the Chicago Defender
- Mentions 'jobs with the Chicago Defender' which isn't mentioned in the passage. Too specific about professional connections when the passage doesn't detail how she secured jobs.
To demonstrate that the factors that motivated the start of the Great Migration were different for Black women than they were for Black men
- The passage mentions different job types but doesn't really demonstrate that motivations were different. This misses the main focus on Barrier Williams entirely.
To provide an overview of the employment challenges faced by Black women in the agricultural and domestic spheres in the southern United States
- Only captures one small part of the passage (employment challenges in the South). Completely ignores Barrier Williams, who is the main subject. Too narrow - this is context, not the main purpose.